In its drive to lessen the impact of cholera on the Haitian population, UNESCO has joined forces with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population to produce six animated films of less than two minutes each to raise awareness of the hazards of the disease among the general public, particularly young people.

These animated films, featuring Ti-Joël, a famous Haitian cartoon character, employ educational and visual methods to show young people how to protect themselves from cholera at school and outdoors, how to purify water and how to prepare oral serum; they also stress the importance of not discriminating against people who have the disease.

Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to cholera. Through these videos featuring cartoon characters, UNESCO is targeting this sector of the population, while duly taking Haiti’s sociocultural context into account. The six animated films are already being broadcast on Haitian National Television (TNH) and privately owned channels. They can also be accessed through online media and social networking sites.

On 2 June 2011, the Ministry of Public Health and the Population announced that it was stepping up the campaign against cholera. The onset of the rainy season has led to an upsurge in the cholera epidemic in Haiti, particularly in the Ouest Department. Follow the links below to view the first of these films: